Bakery Owner Honored for Autism Inclusiveness

EVANSTON, IL - The owner of an Evanston bakery was honored this month for her work in providing employment opportunities for people with autism.

Jean Kroll, owner of "Sugar & Spice Extraordinary Sweet Treats" on Hartrey Ave., was given the first ever “Employer of the Year” award by Have Dreams, a local nonprofit which serves individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder.

“Jean’s leadership and respectful mentoring has changed lives and will impact many more into the future,” said Kristina Johnsen, executive director of Have Dreams.

At Sugar & Spice, Kroll has created a program that has helped her company embrace the culture of diversity and become a more inclusive business. The bakery reevaluated and realigned its employees’ individual skills in order to maximize productivity.

“Basically, we learned to hire the right person for the right job,” she said. “We realized that not only is inclusiveness beneficial to the culture of our business, but it has a social impact and has allowed us to grow our business at the same time.”

Kroll credits Have Dreams and the strength of their partnership for the program's success.